Nico's Story
by ThePaintedPegasus
Summary: A fun filler story from the end of the Heroes of Olympus to the beginning of the Trials of Apollo. All from my darling Nico's POV. Please Enjoy and review to help me post more!
1. Chapter 1

_**Please review my work! I would love feedback! Thank you, I hope you enjoy**_ __

Nico stood in the shade of Thalia's pine tree ready to disappear at any moment. The Athena Parthenos glared down at him disapprovingly. As though she could sense his fading courage. _ **He**_ was down the hill in the strawberry field shining like the sun itself. Not that that was surprising since his father was the sun god. Nico took a deep steadying breath trying to steal himself to step out into the sun. He took a shuffle step out of the shadows and caught a glint of blond hair, heard his laugh and immediately retreated to the shadows.

 _You banter all the time!_ Jason had argued as he tried to coax Nico into asking Will to be his partner for the upcoming scavenger hunt. It was different, Nico complained, Will usually initiated any time spend together. He was constantly asking Nico to tag along with his siblings for various activities. From canoeing in the lake to archery lessons. Neither of which Nico was particularly interested in on his own. He went most of the time simply because Will was there. Which was corny but Nico couldn't seem to make himself care about that too much. Still it was hard to let his guard down around the rest of the Apollo cabin. Even though he was much more comfortable being at camp his internal sense of danger recoiled at too much human contact. Especially when the rest of the Apollo cabin was not always keen to have him along. They never complained though, which Nico figured was probably Will's doing. It was just the occasional sidelong glance, or having them shuffle away not meet his gaze, or the times they leaned away from him like he carried a plague. Not that he really blamed them, the self-proclaimed Ghost King was following along with their cheerful group. He could block them out when Will would grin or bump his shoulder against Nico's. The problem was Will hadn't asked Nico to join them today so Nico hung back in the shadows of the Athena Parthenos and skulked.

"Just go down the hill." Nico murmured to himself. "You've been to Tartarus di Angelo, go talk to him."

But panic seized him and he stood there instead staring at the sun like a fool. In his defense it had only been like two weeks since everyone left for the end of Camp. Jason was still here he was leaving after the scavenger hunt. He had been an uncomfortable yet supportive buffer for the times Nico choked. Which had been a lot lately. Today was also an abnormally bad day for self-doubt and a little (just a little) depression.

 _Think about the three days you spent in the infirmary with him._ Nope that thought did not help. It had been three days of rest while Will hovered and fussed like a very cute mother hen. His bright blue eyes had been bright and earnest as he argued and bullied Nico into drinking Gatorade and eating things that were not junk food. Nico alternated between bickering and snipping at him. By day three a healthy color had returned to Nico's face that Piper insisted was a very cute blush. He raised a sticky hand to his face and felt the heat there now. He cursed in ancient Greek and threw himself down on the withering grass. He sat there moping, absorbed in his own personal shadow, he didn't hear Jason approach until he crouched beside Nico.

"Hey." He said to Nico cheerfully. Nico jumped a good foot in the air.

" _Tu cazzo!"_ Nico snapped leaping to his feet Stygian Iron blade in hand. Jason laughed raucously almost falling over, glasses flashing in the sun.

"Sorry I just hadn't seen you and I thought I would check on how you were doing…." He crooks an eyebrow, he's still trying to suppress a grin. "Seems to be going well."

"Shut up Grace." Nico crosses his arms and scowls. "Why are you here?"

"I'm just checking on my dear friend. Is that not allowed?" Jason asks putting a hand across his heart in mock shock.

"You're just snooping around you gossip! Piper sent you." Nico growled suspiciously. A small voice in the back of his head chides him to soften his tone. People skills it insists, but Nico disregards it in his moment of annoyance.

"No I'm here genuinely." Jason holds up his hands pleadingly. "Honestly I'm here as a concerned friend."

Nico lets his arms fall to his sides still suspicious, Jason was a good friend though. One of his first friends he was honestly open too. It had been one of the most horrible experiences he'd been through, and he'd been through freaking Tartarus. Jason had been really cool about it and made Nico feel welcome. He stayed close even now, he seemed to have an annoying sixth sense for Nico's weakest moments. Like now.

"Did you talk to him...?" Jason asks slowly. Carefully.

"I'm not fragile." Nico snaps. "You don't have to use that tone with me."

"I think we talked a little about your own tone." Jason says in the same careful conversational tone. "I can leave if you would like?"

"No." Nico mumbles deflating a little. "I can't do it."

"You've talked to him a lot." Jason reminds him gently.

"This is different!" Nico insists. "This is me asking him to do something, and it's not quest related, and it's just us! That is super different!"

Jason raises his eyebrow again.

Nico groans theatrically and throws his hands in the air.

"Okay I've got an idea!" Jason says suddenly brightening. "Why don't you team up with someone else? I'll go down there and ask Will to be on my team, then I'll make sure I have some small emergency and ditch Will somewhere you can pick him up. Then you can be a hero and bring him to victory with your group? Sound good?"

"No Jason that's a terrible idea!" Nico squawks at him as Jason squints over Nico's head with a half-smile.

"Okay well he's walking over here thanks to you yelling, so unless you come up with a better idea I'm going to go ask him to be my partner." Jason counts down his fingers while Nico stands there opening and closing his mouth like a fish.

"I'll just ask him tomorrow." Nico pleads but Jason shakes his head slightly and grins.

"Ask who what?" Will asks brightly behind Nico. His voice is like a tingle of electricity up Nico's spine. He turns slowly to see Will standing there hand on hip regarding them with an almost a knowing look. He's wearing a rumbled camp T-shirt with a pair of ripped jeans and the flip flops he seems to live in. He has a smear of strawberry on the side of his face and a few splatters across his arms that he doesn't seem to mind. The wind whispers past the Athena Parthenos mussing his blond hair. What had Nico called it all those weeks ago? A blond flag. Or a mop. Something romantic like that.

"I- I was going to-." Nico starts and stops he can feel heat rising to his cheeks. No more words come out, he glances sideways to Jason silently begging for help.

"We were doing a mad game of rock paper scissors up here to see who got to ask you to be our partner in tomorrow's scavenger hunt." Will visibly brightens, if that's even possible for him to get brighter, at Jason's words. His eyes flicked to Nico with something like hope?

Nico thought his stomach was going to drop straight out onto the withering grass at his feet.

"Who won?" Will asks cocking his head and actually looking at Nico, all the shadows surrounding Nico seem to melt away.

"I did." Jason says clapping a hand on Nico's shoulder. Nico feels a twinge of annoyance and a deep yawning pit of disappointment. "Nico speaks very highly of you, and he already agreed to help mentor one of the younger campers for their first time out."

"Oh." Will seems to deflate a little, but he shakes himself out of it so quickly Nico convinces himself it was nothing. "Yeah that'd be fun!"

"Great!" Jason says cheerfully. He glances between them a few times and then walks off.

"Who are you mentoring?" Will asks a strange note in his voice.

"Uh." Nico curses Jason as he casts around suddenly forgetting all the young campers names. "Maybe Harley or Nancy. Chiron reached out asking some of the veterans to show them around. I was just supposed to be available. I was going to ask you but Jason wants to win and with Piper off looking for Leo I thought it might be good…"

Hello word vomit. Nico moans internally.

"Oh that's really cool!" Will says brightly. "I guess I'm working with Jason. It's going to be weird I swear I only ever seem to hang out with him when you're around."

Will smiles and opens his mouth as though he's going to say more, but he turns as his sister Kayla calls something up the hill to him. He grimaces and rolls his eyes long suffering towards Nico.

"Sorry I've got to go, that's Kayla medic call. It must be the Ares cabin getting into it at the sword fighting arena again." Will starts to back down the hill. "But hey if you aren't busy later you could stop by! I'd be happy for a friendly face. Maybe I can help you with your weak rock, paper, scissors game. That way we can partners next time."

He turns and sprints back down the hill.

"I'm not that bad at Rock Paper Scissors! It's a child's game of chance!" Nico calls after him feel a surge of something. Maybe vomit.

Nico turns and melts back into the shadow of the Athena Parthenos and plants face first into his bunk in the Hades Cabin. He settles moping in the darkness of the much more reasonably decorated Hades cabin. Torches of silvery fire throw sharp dancing shadows across the cool black and white interior. The sheets on Nico's bunk are light gray and the comforter was a gift from Piper. Its black with sugar skulls embroidered across the bottom. He had thanked her quietly but secretly he loved it. Music plays from the enchanted boom box Percy hid as a parting gift before he left to be devoured by a mountain of schoolwork.

He deserves it after having set the infernal device loose. It's enchanted to play music based on the listener's mood. Right now it plays a soft cover of Seven Nation Army, a woman's soft voice murmurs the lyrics adding to the teenage angst clouding the cabin. After the brief shadow travel Nico's eyes feel heavy and his mood worsens. Lying there in a puddle of regrets until dinner sounds good. He alternated dozing and thinking about Will. The boom box moans something in Italian that sounds suspiciously like breakup music. It does nothing to improve Nico's mood.

A knock at the door finally drags Nico off the bed. Half hoping half dreading its Will. Instead his heart sinks when he opens the door and Jason's tall silhouette blocks the door. Again.

"You." Nico growls.

"Me." Jason says cheerfully walking past Nico to sit on the unoccupied bunk beside Nico's. It had become an annoying habit of his lately. He seemed to have forgotten who Nico was. "So did you have a good talk after I left?"

"I'm not telling you after what you did up there." Nico grumps shutting the door and flopping face first back on the bed.

"I can already feel a cold coming on…" Jason says thickly as he flops back on the bed. He rolls over to face Nico. "Is it really that bad? I'm just trying to look out for you. Especially since I'm leaving in a few days to go back to the west coast. I just want to make sure that you'll be okay."

Nico groans into the pillow and flops back over to stare at the canopy. He feels a twinge of guilt for making Jason worry about him. The guilt changes to annoyance as Jason rolls

"No." he concedes grudgingly. "It's not that bad and need I remind you I've done fine on my own before."

"I know you can handle it." Jason says quickly. "It's just that you're my friend and I want to make sure you feel…. Alone."

"There are tons of campers here Jason I won't actually ever be alone." Nico replies petulantly.

"You're impossible." Jason grumbled rolling on his back again. "You know what I mean you little-"

"I know Jason." Nico feels a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "But thanks to you I kind of told Will I was mentoring one of the littles that Chiron keeps trying to push off on everyone."

"You did not!?" Jason laughs sitting up. "Well now we need to find you a little!"

"We really don't."

"You can't lie to your future boyfriend!" Jason quips rolling back to his feet. He must be in an unusually good mood because the boom box sputters in the middle of a Halloween special effects track and changes to some upbeat hip hop nonsense song.

"Don't call him that." Nico says warningly. "Jason I'm serious."

"I'll be good I promise." Jason promises as the volume rises with his grin. The song is obnoxious and repetitive. Will would probably know the name of it Nico thinks to himself glumly. The Boom box splutters again and spits out a few sad notes of violin music before spluttering again and launching into a rather loud rendition of Dear Future Husband.

"So you still can't get it to deactivate?" Jason asks pointing to the bronze boom box perched on the top of an unused dresser.

"Go ahead try to turn it off." Nico says glumly. "I've tried everything, even Jules Albert can't seem to catch it."

"Catch it?" Jason asks confused.

"Go ahead try." Nico offers pointing toward the possessed boom box. Secretly Nico can't wait to watch Jason chase the stupid boom box around. Serves him right. Nico had cornered the infernal thing the first night it was in the cabin but it had spit an unorthodox amount of tape and bits of CD at Nico until it spotted freedom and went scooting away. In a rage Nico summoned Jules Albert and together they wrecked the Cabin trying to destroy it. All the while it shimmied away belting Smooth Criminal so loudly other campers had come to make sure the son of Hades hadn't gone insane.

Jason leans over and tries to nonchalantly touch the volume dial. The boom box screeches and starts rapping about thongs as it flies off the dresser in a shower of books and spare t-shirts. It mutters to itself in Weird Al's voice before scooting under Nico's bed.

"I hate Percy." Nico grumbles aiming an ineffectual kick towards the boom box. It starts to lament an opera.

"Okay," Jason raises his hands in defeat and the music quiets slightly. Nico can tell he's trying not to laugh and it does nothing to improve his current mood. "Okay killer lets go find you a little to babysit for the scavenger hunt."

Reluctantly Nico trails Jason out of the cabin, muttering unpleasant things about Percy and his boom box.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two.

Chiron was a little too delighted for Nico's liking when Jason shoved him into the porch and announced the Nico wanted to be a mentor. Jason curse him stepped back and leaned against the railing to wait. Nico grumbled out a short version of his predicament leaving out Will and instead focusing on how unfulfilled life would be at camp without a munchkin to mentor. Chiron didn't seem bothered by Nico's potentially questionable motives. He closed his book with a snap and was so excited he practically scrambled out of his wheelchair. His white stallion body glinted in the fading light. He moved fast enough that Nico had to almost jog to keep up. Nico mouthed _Kill me_ as he passed Jason. Jason merely grinned and trailed along as the marched on the Hermes cabin.

Nico was alarmed at how late it was, everyone was back in there cabin prepping for dinner. Guilt welled in his chest again when he thought about Will's smiling invitation earlier. Now not only was he not lurking around Will, he was on his way to likely terrify one of the new campers. This poor probably overly traumatized demigod child was going to get stuck with none other than the child of Hades. What was he even supposed to say?

 _Hey welcome to camp! I'm Nico son of the Underworld. I can see dead people. I'm sure we'll get along great!_ Not the way to sooth a child's fears. The more Nico thought about it the more he really didn't feel up to the task. This poor kid probably lost family to get here so young, which Nico could sympathize with but did not feel comfortable talking about.

"Here we are!" Chiron stamps his hoof on the porch of the Hermes Cabin. "Now I'm pairing you with Beatrice, her father sent her to us for a few weeks of early orientation. He was a camper here for a few years in his youth, son of Aphrodite. She is yet unclaimed."

A few strange yells later Conner Stoll spills out onto the porch. Followed by a young brown haired girl with olive skin and a smattering of freckles across her nose. She couldn't have been older than eight or nine. A lump rises in Nico's throat, she reminds him of Bianca.

"Hello Conner, ah Beatrice will you walk with us dear?" Chiron asks kindly holding a hand out to her. She blinks big grey eyes at them as she assesses the new comers. Her eyes flick over Jason and Chiron as though they are old news and settle on Nico. Almost like she knows that's why he's here. Nico could practically feel the intelligence behind those eyes.

"It's just B." She informs Chiron solemnly as she bounces off the porch and studies the two demigods in front of her. She's a tiny thing, Nico thinks to himself. She wears an oversized green jacket with lots of pockets. They all bulge out as though filled with treasures.

"How are you liking camp so far B?" Chiron asks leading the small group away. The only sound is the clopping of Chiron's hooves as he leads us towards the dining pavilion. Jason follows along just to prod Nico along. Nico flips him a rude gesture before scooting out of reach.

"I like it okay. I haven't met any gods yet." B pouts a bit when she says that.

"It's hard for the gods to visit on a whim. We did discuss that yesterday during orientation." Chiron explains patiently.

"I know." B replies glumly. "Who are you?"

She directs her question to Nico, who recoils from the strange child for a moment before finally spitting out two words truly worthy of the god Apollo.

"I'm Nico." He manages.

"Nico has offered to be a mentor for you for the upcoming scavenger hunt. I'm sure he would be happy to answer any questions you might have about demigod life. Nico has been on many quests in his time here." Chiron says in the same kindly voice. Nico wonders how he manages it, especially knowing what the kids are going to be up against in their future.

"Who's your parents?" B asks with her hand on her hip. The gestures makes Nico think of Will which annoys him enough to really be present.

"My mother was a mortal names Maria, my father is Hades." Nico replies carefully watching the little girl for signs of imminent fleeing. Instead she does something that perhaps shocks him more. Delight twists her small features into a grin and she raises her fist and does an excited little shimmy.

"He's the only one I don't have!" B says breathlessly as she yanks Mythomagic cards from one of the many pockets of her oversized jacket. Some flutter to the ground she gathers them with the enthusiasm of a small tornado. All Nico can do is gape at the little girl, her grey eyes are bright and earnest as she holds up her handful of cards. "I have so many questions."

"I'll leave you two to get acquainted." Chiron says ruffling B's messy hair. He clatters off back to the big house to finish his book. Nico glances back at Jason for help.

"Hey B I'm Jason." Jason steps up and has to crouch a bit to shake her hand. B shakes it solemnly her eyes still flitting back to Nico. Her dark hair is long and keeps falling into her eyes. She shoves it back looking annoyed with it.

"Who's your parents?" She asks squinting up at him.

"Son of Jupiter."

"Oh." B almost sounds disappointed. "He's cool too, but he has all the stories and stuff but Hades has the best disappearing action of any of the gods. The helm of darkness protects against all kinds of damage just by avoiding it!"

"You sound like an expert." Jason tells her looking impressed. She puffs up her chest with pride and then turns her attention back to Nico.

"So if you're my mentor do I get to stay in your cabin?" She asks hopefully.

"Sorry but you have to stay in the Hermes cabin until your godly parent claims you." Nico replies sharply, maybe a bit more sharply than he should have judging by the way she deflates. Jason also gives him a meaningful wide eyed stare. "But I'm sure you'll get claimed soon and the scavenger hunt tomorrow is going to be fun!"

Nico suddenly felt even worse for trying to use this poor kid to get closer to Will. This was not what mentoring was supposed to be about. He made a deal with himself to make sure that little B had the best Camp experience a demigod could have.

"How long before dinner Jason?" Nico turns to look at him.

"Probably forty five minutes or less, why?" Jason asks suspiciously.

"No reason." Nico replies quickly before turning back to B. "We have time to see one thing that's cool what do you want to see?"

B's big grey eyes grow wide.

"Is it true that there was a girl that turned into a tree? And is there really a hell hound tame enough to ride? What's your favorite place in camp?" B asks rapid fire. Then she seems to light on an idea. "Can I see the Hades cabin?"

Nico blanches at that, images of the horrible boom box and the mess he left in the cabin flash behind his eyes. "Uh…"

"Oh please, please, please, please, please, please!" B begs as she practically jumps up and down. Then she notices the sword hanging from Nico's hip. "What's your sword made out of?"

"Have fun! Just don't scare the poor kid with your messy Cabin." Jason teases, he also musses B's hair before turning to leave. "You seem like you have it under control here."

Nico wanted to respond in that moment that no he did not in fact have it all under control here. But that didn't really seem like the kind of thing wise mentors did. At least not in front of adoring nine year olds.

"Let's start with a walk around camp."

Nico of course did not have everything under control.

They made it to Hestia's fire where a few campers were talking. B babbled excitedly about Hestia's powers while Nico tucked his hands into his pockets and walked along trying to be aloof. B was infectious though as she ran around babbling questions so fast it was hard to get an answer out. Not that that deterred her. She seemed satisfied if Nico managed to answer every fifth or sixth question, which was fine with Nico.

"Do you shoot darkness?"

"Kind of."

"Can you commune with the dead?" She babbles barely breathing. "Can your sword reap souls? Does that give you more attack power? Can you travel through shadows?"

"Yes." Nico tries to restrain the urge to summon a skeleton to leash her. She bounces around on the balls of her feet flitting around Nico in a strange dance. She reminds him of an overgrown puppy leaping around for attention.

"Can I climb that?" She asks pointing at the tiered seating creating a semi-circle around the fire pit.

"I don't see why not." Nico responds, he barely has the words out before B darts off. Dark hair streaming behind her as she races towards the gently smoldering fire pit. Nico jogs to keep her in his sight cursing Jason for getting him involved in this ill-fated scheme. B hits the first tear and starts scrambling to the top as quickly as possible. She does a cartwheel and manages to land it right in front of a few dryads. They clap good naturedly as she skitters past them leaping higher and higher. Nico can't help his smile as she turns and waves back down at him. Fortunately there aren't very many

"Come on B we got more to see." Nico called to her a bit self-consciously. She turned and started to climb down just as nimbly as a satyr. That's when things went wrong. She slipped on the row above one of the Ares campers who was sitting with his new Aphrodite girlfriend. B managed to keep her feet but one of her Mythomagic cards fluttered loose from her pocket and was swept off by the wind. She made a wild grab for the card and bumped into the Ares guy almost knocking him off the bench.

"Hey punk!" He growled and grabbed her ankle. B went down with a yelp of pain and cracked her shins and everything else on the next layer of seating. Nico was stunned for a moment as he watched the Ares camper loom over little Beatrice.

"Hey!" Nico yelled as he lurches forward to intervene. B was less stunned then she let on, with tears in her eyes she cocks her leg and kicks him in the shin. He howls in pain and grabs for his shin. B rolls away and darts back to her feet. The camper makes another grab for B but Nico moves without really thinking about what he's doing. His vision goes a little red and the next thing he knows is that he's got his sword leveled at the Ares guy who's sprawled on the benches panting.

"What's your name?" Nico asks quietly the ground trembles at Nico's feet. He can feel the dead rising to his anger.

"Sherman." He growls practically spitting the word at Nico.

"Well Sherman if I even hear a whisper of you trying to go after one of the younger campers again I will show you-" Nico catches B's pale face out of the corner of his eye and loses some of his momentum. Sherman moves to rise but Nico strikes faster than a snake and catches him in the jaw with the fist not holding the sword. Sherman drops back cursing and clutching his jaw. Nico sheaths his sword contemptuously. "Don't ever do that to one of the kids again."

Nico turns on his heel and stalks out. The grass in the entire fire pit area is dry and withered the campers around him are silent and staring wide eyed. Nico's used to that though he ignores them as he sweeps past B. She falls in beside him hobbling a little and clutching her hands to her chest. Tears still streaming down her cheeks. She sniffles quietly but tries to hide it. Nico leads her out around the back of the seating ring and stops in the shadows cast by the fading sun. He kneels in front of B and holds out his hand for her small ones.

"Can I see them?" Nico asks gently, B hesitates for a second and holds out her skinned palms. Nico tries to be gentle as he checks across all the splinters embedded in her hands. B still winces as tears slide down her cheeks silently but she doesn't try to pull away. Nico curses himself silently for letting the girl run amok. "That was really awesome when you kicked him, that guy is nothing but a big bully."

That gets a weak laugh from her. Her left hand is bleeding more than the right and her leggings are ripped across both knobby knees. Both are skinned bleeding. "Why don't we go see a friend of mine? He's a healer, he'll be more helpful than me."

B nods slightly and Nico stands again. Worry fills Nico's chest. All of twenty minutes on the job and already he's allowed his charge to get hurt. Some mentor he is.

"Let's go see the Doctor."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hope those who are following this story are enjoying it! I have an actually long chapter planned for this weekend, so please stay tuned. If you like it please review!**_

Nico tried to contain his rising pulse. He was unsure if it was from anger over what had happened to B or in part due to the fact that they were trudging across the green towards the Apollo cabin. Nico decided it was just anger towards Sherman. B had stopped sniffling and the little girl was a tough cookie, she hadn't complained once. Nico couldn't help thinking of Bianca as they walked along, he had tried to make peace with her decision for rebirth, but it still stung. B sets her mouth in a hard line when she stumbles, her chin wobbles. Nico flinches when she had reaches up with her less abraded hand and clutched Nico's. Normally Nico would have yanked his hand back and found some way to get away from the kid. He couldn't seem to bring himself to do it though. She looks up at him with the face so like Bianca's he wonders if somehow Bianca managed to get reincarnated as this kid. B sniffles again and Nico squeezes her hand gently as they near the warm glow of the Apollo cabin.

Nico hops up the steps with B in tow and takes a deep steadying breath before raising his hand to knock. In the distance the horn blows for dinner, before Nico can knock the door swings in. Will smiles broadly when he sees Nico. Nico's heart hammers so hard he's surprised Will can't hear it. Will's smile fades when he sees B's disheveled appearance. The other Apollo campers crowd forward to see what's holding their counsellor up. A few grin knowingly and whisper to each other, Kayla, Will's green haired sister, hushes them quickly. Nico feels his face grow hot B seems to sense his distress and gives his hand a squeeze.

"What happened?" Will asks. He cocks his head like a dog and looks Nico and B over carefully.

"B had an accident, I was hoping you might be able to help." Nico replies tersely.

"Of course." Will says stepping back into the cabin. "Kayla you take everyone on ahead and we'll see you there."

"Can do Will." Kayla says with a knowing smile. Nico's insides squirm as he and B step aside and let the entire Apollo cabin shuffle past. B watches them wide eyed and tugs Nico's sleeve until he stoops to hear her question.

"Who is there parents?" She asks quietly. She seems suddenly shy in the presence of the Apollo cabin.

 _Same kid._ Nico thinks to himself.

"This is the Apollo cabin." Nico replies as the last few campers shuffle past.

"He has two thousand attack power with his golden bow." B mumbles as Will surveys them with a hand on his hip. "He looks like my Daddy."

"Come on in, I feel like there is a story here." Will says it sternly, but the twinkle in his eye ruins the effect. Nico tries to think about zombies and the river Styx, anything but the fact that he's practically alone in the cabin with Will. B tugs Nico forward and follow Will toward one of the bunks at the back of the cabin. "We'll use my bunk, sound good?"

 _Holy Hades_.

Will directs his question to B who nods solemnly. She looks back at Nico and let's go of his hand before hopping up to sit on Will's bed. Will drops to his hands and knees and starts rummaging under the bed. Nico shifts from foot to foot awkwardly, he twists his skull ring while trying and failing not to watch Will.

"Aha!" Will finally emerges from under the bed, he drags an old fashioned leather doctor's case. A pair of shorts and a comic book follow the bag. Will hastily stuff them back underneath and lugs the bag up onto the bed beside B. He clicks open the latch and opens up a multi-tiered, very organized, first aid kit. He starts rummaging through the kit and setting out different items.

"So one of you needs to explain what happened." Will says over his shoulder as he rifling through the contents of the kit. He pulls out several boxes of band aids, a set of tweezers, a canteen full of nectar, and a metal canister stuffed full of cotton balls. Nico watches transfixed as Will works to pull out the splinters on B's more hurt hand. She winces but sets her mouth in a hard stubborn line.

"B had an unlucky run in with Sherman." Nico begins he spins the skull ring around his finger absently as he brings Will up to speed. "B got a pretty good lick in before I… Ah intervened."

B flashes him a smile over Will's blond head, she winces again when Will starts in on her other hand.

"Did you manage to get yourself hurt "intervening"? You didn't use any Underworld power right?" Will asks turning to scrutinize Nico. Nico feels Will's gaze like an actual touch, he glances down at his slightly bruised knuckles. He flexes his stiffening fingers, they don't really hurt yet. Will raises an eyebrow as though anticipating Nico's lie.

"No." Nico says glaring back at Will, daring him to call Nico's bluff. Will shrugs and starts to dab nectar on one of the cotton balls. He gently dabs B's cuts and scrapes. Most of the cuts heal over, all but the deepest few. He does the same for her knees, he also insists on shiny a small pocket light in her eyes to check for a concussion.

 _He fusses like a mother hen_. Nico thinks to himself irritably. Another small voice in the back of his head argues. _A very_ _ **cute**_ _mother hen._

B flexes her healing hands experimentally and grins at Will. Will pats her on the knee and then starts packing up the med kit. He turns a critical eye on Nico again.

"You're sure you didn't do anything stupid?"

"Define stupid."

"Pick something off the list of what you usually do." Will says breezily. "Overusing underworld power, fighting monsters, breaking bones in unnecessary fights, and oh I don't know lying to your doctor."

Nico tries to come up with a scathing retort but unfortunately, with her hands no longer hurting, B finds her voice.

"Aren't shadows Underworld power?" B asks hesitantly. Will turns back to her and claps her on her healed knees.

"That is an Underworld power." Will gives Nico a dirty look then continues to address B. "Nico was supposed to limit any Underworld powers for at least another week. He is not very good at following directions. Don't be like Nico."

"I'm fine." Nico grumbles as the shadows thicken around him. He's half tempted to shadow travel away just to spite Will. Especially when he rolls his eyes at Nico that way. "It doesn't help anyone when you get judgmental. I'm fine really."

Will scowls and starts to retort something but B interrupts.

"You guys argue like my Daddy's." B says it with a smothered smile, the little Aphrodite devil has a knowing twinkle in her eye. Nico's sure of it. "Can I pick a band aid?"

Nico's face gets hot and he wants to melt into a puddle of darkness right there on the floor. A blush also rises across Will's cheeks and he stands quickly, not looking at Nico. "Yeah pick any that you want. I like the hellhound ones best."

"Cool!" B enthusiastically rips open a pack of size changing band aids. The nectar mostly healed her hand but the longer cut remains. Will helps her smooth her new hellhound band aid over the cut and then deems her fit enough for dinner.

"Do you have any suckers?" B asks as she bounds to her feet. She produces an Apollo figurine from the depth of her jacket and fiddles with it. "Mortal doctors have suckers. Or stickers. I like stickers too. If you're a real doctor you'll have stickers."

Will scrunches his nose thoughtfully. Nico tries to ignore the way it makes his chest do a little tap dance. Will snaps his fingers and pulls a book off his nightstand. He flips through the pages of the medical text until a smiley face sticker falls out on the floor. He scoops it up and offers it to B triumphantly.

"This is the best I can do." Will shoves his hands in his pockets and looks at Nico as B accepts her yellow sticker.

"And will I be seeing Sherman at some point?" Will asks the question casually but there is an underlying question that makes Nico cringe. _How badly did you hurt him?_

"He might have a few bruises." Nico admits, Will raises an eyebrow and then looks from Nico to B and back again.

"That's all?" Will asks sounding almost disappointed. "I'm not trying to encourage excess violence, but I have a problem," He waves his hand to encompass all of B. "With this."

"Nico hit him." B offers with a smile, then she does something that surprises Nico. She wraps her little arms around his middle and gives him a tight hug. "He's my hero."

"Sound like he is." Will expression softens. Nico looks away quickly and squeezes the little demigod back. "We'd better get over to dinner before they send out a search party."

"Right." Nico replies turning abruptly as B releases him to leave the cabin. B skips ahead with her Apollo figurine held aloft ahead of her like an offering.

"You're doing a good thing helping that little imp." Will says close behind Nico, he sounds like he's trying not to laugh. Nico's nerves are on fire he can imagine that he can feel Will's heat behind him like the warmth from the sun.

"She reminds me of my sister so much." Nico says as B turns and flashes an impish smile before opening the door and disappearing into the night. Too late he realizes what he's said. A familiar ache starts in his chest thinking about Bianca.

"Hazel?" Will asks curiously as he follows Nico onto the porch. Nico hesitates for a second looking up at the darkening sky.

"No." Nico replies in a quiet voice. "I'd rather not talk about it."

Will doesn't respond other than to squeeze Nico's shoulder for a moment.

"If you ever want to talk my doors always open." Will offers with a small smile. "And because we're friends I feel compelled to tell you that B stuck this to your back."

Nico frowns as Will peels the smiley face sticker off of the back of his aviator jacket. Will grins and jogs a step ahead of Nico to stick it on his chest. The small yellow face grins up at Nico from where Will stuck it upside down. Nico suddenly becomes aware of many different things; the chill of the autumn wind on his skin, the heat of Will's fingers, the brightness of his blue eyes, and the fact that B has vanished. In this moment they are utterly alone crossing the green.

"You should keep it." Will says his hand lingers for a moment, long enough that Nico's sure Will can feel his thundering heart. "It suits you."

Nico isn't sure what he would have said or done in the next moment, but B once again materializes to ruin the moment. Disappointment drops through Nico like a stone through water. B, completely unperturbed, looks back and forth between them with a scrutiny that makes Nico's skin crawl. _What is with this kid?_

"I'm hungry." B announces as she falls into step between them babbling cheerfully about her Mythomagic cards. With a pang Nico remembers doing something very similar when he came to camp for the first time. It feels like eons ago.

"Can you shadow travel like in this Hades power up card?" Be asks abruptly.

"Yeah. I can shadow travel." Nico replies, he tries not to smile as B's jaw drops.

"No way!" She squeals delightedly. "Can you take other people? Can we go somewhere right now?"

"No Underworld magic." Will scolds them, he has his imperial doctor look again. Nico's feelings from a moment ago are tempered with a healthy edge of annoyance. Nico catches B's eye and they back up together towards one of the statues of Hera, where the shadows are darkest. Will takes a step forward shaking his finger. "I'm warning you di Angelo!"

"Sorry Doc." Nico waives to Will with one hand and with the other he grabs B. The last thing Nico hears before they appear in the mess hall is Will cursing him in Ancient Greek. This time Nico doesn't bother trying to hide his smile.


	4. Chapter 4

_**I got this done sooner than I thought I would! Hope you enjoy and please review! I would love feedback as an aspiring writer. Thanks**_ __

Nico awakens to the sound of the boom box softly crooning _Baby its Cold Outside_ from under the bed. He groans and tries to smother the noise with his pillow, but to no avail. Finally he gives up and groggily rolls out of bed. All the curtains are drawn, Nico is unsure of what time of day it actually is. The only source of light in the cabin comes from the flickering torches ensconced along the wall. Ever since his mission with the Athena Parthenos Nico sleeps like the dead. He can sleep through about any kind of noise, usually even the boom box. The accursed thing is picking up its volume as Nico quickly dresses and brushes his teeth. The volume continues to rise until Nico throws a heavy mythology book at it. The boom box changes to an upbeat version of _F*ck you_ as it skids under one of the other beds, like something from a poltergeist movie _._

"Now you're starting to get the idea." Nico tells the boom box as it continues its sulking. He grabs his aviator jacket from the bedpost and grins so hard his facial muscles hurt. Peeling at the edges is the stupid smiley face sticker that Will stuck to him the night before. Afraid that it will fall off during the scavenger hunt Nico peels it off and sticks it, upside down of course, to the bedpost. In the distance Nico hears a horn blow. He curses and belts his sword on as quickly as he can. He yanks the door open and nearly trips over B. She doesn't even look up from the Mythomagic cards spread in front of her on the small porch.

"Uh good morning?" Nico asks B, she moves a few cards around and still doesn't look up. Nico prods her with a toe. "Why are you here?"

B pushes him away and lays down another card.

"You're supposed to be my mentor, Chiron said I should wait for you to take me though morning lessons. You slept through breakfast, so I've been waiting out here forever." B informs him grumpily, absently she gestures towards a bottle of Gatorade and a cloth parcel full of food. "Will said I should bring you something to eat."

"Oh." Nico murmurs looking down at the small circle where the sticker was. B turns to glare at Nico, he schools his expression into a glower.

"He also said to warn you not to use any more Underworld power. Or else." She smirks and lays down another card. "You listen to weird music."

"What?" Nico frowns then remembers the boom box. "It's from a magic radio that someone gave me as a sadistic joke."

"What makes it magic?"

"It's supposed to play music according to your moods but it's possessed." Nico shrugs and shoves his hands in his pockets. "C'mon lets go down and find you a weapon for the scavenger hunt."

"I get a weapon?!" B gasps, her annoyance dissolves like sugar in water. She gathers her cards quickly and buttons down her pockets. "What's its attack power? Do I get to kill any monsters today?"

"Let's just see where the day goes." Nico replies evasively as he passes B and starts off toward the sword fighting arena.

B jogs up beside Nico and shoves the cloth bundle and Gatorade bottle at him. There is a folded scrap of notebook paper on the top. The corner of Nico's mouth twitches at the sight of Will's handwriting.

"Why are you smiling?" B asks suspiciously as she bounces along in step with Nico.

"Because I get to torture you in the sword fighting ring today." Nico replies with what he hopes is a threatening look.

"Yeah. Sure." B snorts and pulls out her Apollo figurine.

Nico decides the best course of action is to simply ignore the small demi-god. He plucks the note from the top of the pack and stuffs it in his pocket to read later. His insides feel squirmy and he doesn't feel like eating. "I don't really want this."

"Will said I was supposed to pester you until you ate something. He said I would be good at that" B scrunches her nose. "I don't think that was a compliment."

"It probably wasn't." Nico replies mildly as he sorts through the food. There are several apples and bagels and something that looks like a breakfast burrito. Nico glances over at B who is scowling like she wants to kick him in the shin. "I'm not going to eat all of this. Here you pick something."

"I already ate." B huffs.

"Have a banana." Nico pushes it in her hands and takes the apple for himself.

"I don't like bananas." B grumbles and swaps it for the burrito. "You should eat more."

"I'm eating now." Nico holds up the apple. "It's bad enough Will harasses me, I don't need you on my case too.

"We wouldn't harass you if you ate-" B informs him but he silences her with an evil look.

They walk the rest of the way to the arena in silence Nico eats a bagel along with the apple while B glares at him. Nico ditches the rest of the breakfast in the shadows outside the arena and leads B over to the armory shed outside the sword fighting arena. He shoulders the door open and heads to the back of the shed where the mismatched armor is kept. He rifles through a bin of dented and ill fitted pieces until he finds a small leather breastplate. He hands it to B to start trying on, she excitedly starts tangling herself in the straps while Nico continues to dig. He wonders absently if he ever looked that ridiculous in armor when he was younger. Probably.

He finds a small set of greaves but everything else on the shelves is too big or heavy. B scowls as she tugs the straps of her new armor back up onto her narrow shoulders. Nico moves on to rifling through the different sections of weaponry. He offers B a spear with a broken handle that is short enough for her to wield. He passes by the swords since all of them probably outweigh the small demigod. He checks over the few handguns they have, a small responsible part of him decides it would be a bad idea to give a nine year old a hand gun. Nico turns to the bows stowed in cases he doesn't really know much about the maintenance and actual use of a bow but he grabs the smallest one he can find. He grabs a quiver full of arrows as well. _Might as well see if she's got any hidden talents_. Nico thinks as he picks up random equipment. Which leaves only the knife rack left to pilfer.

"Okay let's try some of these." Nico picks a few off the shelf and instructs B on the balance she's looking for. These he understands. He passes her a good fifteen knives before they agree on one. It's a long celestial bronze dagger with a narrow blade and a leather wrapped handle. The scabbard is plain and has a small stamp of a hydra on the bottom.

"Hail hydra." B whispers with a crooked grin when Nico helps her buckle it on.

"You're a strange child." Nico shakes his head and leads his newly decked out mentee out to an unoccupied corner of the practice ring. They pass Jason on the way, he's sparring with one of the Ares campers. He gives Nico a nod as they pass, then he starts waling on the camper again.

"Keep your guard up!" Jason growls as he whirls in a deadly flash of gold. The morning it cool but already a film of sweat coats the campers in their morning exercises. B follows Nico wide eyed around the melee. They pass some of the Apollo campers taking a knife fighting lesson from a daughter of Hecate. Nico chides himself for the crush of disappointment that hits him when Will isn't among them.

"It's all about the sleight of hand." She explains as she flips the blade twice from hand to hand, almost faster than the eye can follow, and thrusts it up through the heart of a straw dummy. Several daggers hit the dirt as the Apollo kids try to replicate her precision.

Nico sets his extra equipment down to claim their spot. B looks uncomfortable as she stands there nervously looking at the other fighters. _Yeah I definitely looked like that._ Nico thinks to himself with a snort. He squares off with B, settling himself into a fighting stance.

"So when you start out this is how you want your feet."

They practice different stances and the proper way to hold a blade. Nico has her step forward and thrust with the knife in one smooth movement into one of the straw dummies. She goes over and over again until it happens smoothly. She grins excitedly when she stabs the dagger so deep it sticks in the wood frame inside the dummy. Next Nico has he run through practice drills for footwork, he does it alongside her until she stops having to look down to keep on her feet. Finally they move on to basic disarming techniques, Nico draws his sword and demonstrates how to be quick with her hands. Distantly Nico is aware of the morning swords fighters breaking apart for the next phase of the day.

"Ah, loose grip." Nico reminds B as he knocks her knife from her wobbling grip.

"Quicker." He chides as he leaps back and she misses her next jab. She scowls and whirls in again this time narrowly missing Nico's fingers. "Better. Now again."

He continues retreating until finally B gets a lucky shot in and Nico "drops" his sword. B's look of elation is priceless, a warm sense of accomplishment swells in Nico's chest. He stoops to retrieve his blade and catches a flash of blond in the stands. He turns to check, as B babbles on about her success, but no one is there. Nico dismisses it as a trick of the light. He almost orders B to go again, but he notices the little girl's arms wobbling.

"Why don't we take a break?" Nico offers and they sit on one of the benches and drink water from the big orange camp half-blood cooler.

"When do we get our list for the scavenger hunt?" B asks while she admires her new knife.

"After lunch." Nico replies tersely, out of habit he scans the ring for any sign of the blond mop. He stops his search abruptly, annoyed with himself.

"So are we fighting monsters?" B asks him hesitantly. Nico turns back to her and tries to give her a reassuring smile. He's not sure he pulls it off, it probably looked more like a grimace. But whatever you get credit for trying.

"Maybe, but that's why we practice this stuff." Nico gestures to the ring where a new group of demigods in suiting up to spar with various weaponry. "And I'll be with you the whole way."

"Can we practice more?" B asks setting aside her cup. Her chin is set in a stubborn line that makes Nico's chest tight. Her expression is so like Bianca's the only real difference is her bright gray eyes. They run through more drills until B can slip inside Nico's guard and manage a halfway decent dodge and roll.

"You're small so you have to be quick and clever." Nico tells her when they stop for another break. "That's how I had to start. I'm still not like Jason or Sherman and I doubt I ever will be. That's why we both have to be quick. Speed will be your best weapon."

Nico unsheathes his sword and lays it across his knees as they sit watching Jason bark at the next sword fighting lesson coming through. Nico points out weak points in the fresh sparrers, they fall to each as Nico points them out. He starts to feel a little smug as they leave for lunch. B holds onto her new sweaty armor like it's a gift from the gods themselves. It looks a little ridiculous over the top of her multi pocketed coat, but she wouldn't be parted from it. They eat a quick lunch with Jason before Will appears to drag him off.

"We need to talk strategy." Will insists as he stands hand on hip at the head of their table. His eyes linger on Nico for a moment. "I don't want di Angelo listening in and cheating."

"Yeah, yeah." Nico rolls his eyes. B scarfs down her food and then looks at Nico hopefully. He shoves the rest of his sandwich over onto her plate. Her hands tremble as she holds her food. Nico makes a mental note to find the kid some nectar before they start the scavenger hunt. Maybe he was a little hard on her for her first lesson. He looks up to find Will studying him with an expression Nico doesn't quite understand. He catches Nico's eye and focuses on Jason, motioning impatiently for him to get up.

"Good luck, you're going to need it." Will winks and Jason follows him off with a shrug, he pushes half a hot dog off onto B's plate before he leaves. Nico fights down a twinge of jealousy as he waits for B to finish the rest of Jason's hot dog.

Nico offers B a tiny square of ambrosia, which she nibbles as they walk to the woods. All the other campers competing are lined up chattering excitedly. Will catches Nico's eye as they come up to join the unruly mob.

 _You're going down_. He mouths.

 _In your dreams_. Nico mouths back. Will turns away with a grin to study Jason who keeps rolling his shoulder and wincing. Even from the opposite side of the crowd Nico thinks it looks like overkill. Will steps over to offer help but Jason waves him off.

 _Too Easy_. Jason mouths across the crowd.

"Hey B do you see any dryads?" Nico points into the forest B turns away excitedly to study the trees. Nico flips Jason off the second B turns her back. His laugh drifts over the crowd stoking annoyance. Nico's thoughts of further retribution are stopped when Chiron stomps his hoof on the platform. The assembled campers quiet after a moment.

"Campers! Welcome to our first Annual Scavenger Hunt!" A cheer rises from the crowd. "Rules for today's activity are simple, collect all the items on the list and return before the fourth horn. Beware the guardians! Please you all should know this by now, but I will reiterate, please no intentional maiming and keep your search contained to the forest.. Now if the teams will all line up along this line."

B and Nico line up and a nervous looking satyr hands them a rolled up scroll and a big leather bag. Nico slings the bag across his shoulder and opens the scroll. He holds it so B can read as well.

1 Golden Egg

1 Cursed Jewel

2 Monster Trophies

1 Cabin Flag

1 Golden Laurel

"Where are we going first?" B asks nervously, she keeps pulling her knife in and out of its sheath.

"We'll start with the cursed jewels then work from there." Nico replies thinking quickly. He knows where the cursed jewels are. Hazel had raised a heap of them when they had gone out for a tour of the woods. He had a hazy guess about where the eggs were, and he figured they could collect trophies from anything they happened across. Nico tucks the scroll into the bag and moves into place along the line.

"Is everyone ready?" Chiron asks. Another cheer rolls across the group again. "Everyone behind the line. On your mark! Get set! Go!"

The Go is punctuated by a loud hunting horn blown by one of the satyrs. Nico and B race off down a path away from the other campers and into the darker part of the forest. Thanks to his misguided youth Nico had spent a fair amount of time knocking around the woods of camp half blood. B's mercifully light footed and they make quick quiet progress through the forest. By luck alone Nico knows where the mound of cursed jewels are. Hazel had joined in on a lively hunt across the forest the last time she was here. A hellhound had surprised her and she buried it under a ton of rubies and gold. Halfway to Zeus's fist they stumble onto the small mound treasure. Nico scans the woods for any sign of the guardian as B gleefully grabs one of the rubies and tosses it in the bag. Nico scans the woods for any sign of monsters but the woods are quiet.

Nico and B strike off avoiding sounds of skirmishes blooming across the woods. Something howls in the brush off to Nico's left but he doesn't stop to investigate. They forge on towards the boundary creek for capture the flag Nico searches for anything even remotely helpful, but he sees nothing. They follow the creek for a while, until B grabs the back of Nico's jacket.

"Uh." She points up into the trees above them where a green skinned dryad sits swinging her legs in the branches of her tree. She holds a kindle in one hand and atop her head is a golden laurel wreath.

"Hello!" Nico calls up to the dryad. "Can I have your laurels?"

"Sure." She replies sounding bored as she swipes the screen of her kindle. "But Chiron said you have to climb for them."

Nico grimaces he doesn't like heights, especially after his time on the Argo II being tossed around in the rigging. It also brings back unpleasant memories of being hauled away to Cupid's stupid presence. B must have read his expression because she quickly starts shucking off her armor.

"I'll do it." She says quickly. "I love to climb."

Nico nods trying to show gratitude in a small smile. He laces his fingers together and boosts B up into the lower branches of the tree. B scrambles off like a monkey, she scampers up to the dryad in seconds. The dryad hands over the laurels without even looking up. B tosses them to Nico, he shoves them in the bag quickly.

"Where's the golden eggs?" B asks the dryad as she starts to scramble back down.

"Can't tell you," The dryad responds flatly, she sweeps her auburn hair over her shoulder and swipes the kindle again.

"Would you do it if I promise to bring you a new book?" Nico calls up hopefully. The dryad finally looks down at him her green eyes veiled with cool disdain. "Maybe something else?"

"I will give you a hint if you leave me in peace to finish my story." She says replies coolly.

"Deal!" Nico says as B drops into his arms from the tree. He sets her down and she starts pulling her armor back on.

"Seek the hill where death and treasure meet. Look to the trees along the way." The dryad finishes her piece and returns to her book. Nico takes that as their que to leave. Unfortunately Nico knows the place she's talking about. They have to go to the Ant Hill. Or maybe not quiet all the way if there's something in the trees along the way. Nico and B jog along a trail heading toward an older section of the forest. A couple Hermes campers cross their path looking surprised. Everyone draws weapons. Nico takes a step in front of B and steps around the two Hermes campers, who carefully take a step back.

"We don't need to fight here." Nico tells them smoothly. They size up the now bulging bag Nico has slung across his shoulder and exchange a look. Nico sends out a little ripple of power causing a crack to open in the ground at their feet. The two exchange looks and then bolt into the woods back the way Nico and B just came from.

B snorts a laugh and sheathes her knife.

"It's nice to have scary friends."

"Yeah, yeah." Nico grumbles he keeps his sword out as they hike on. In the distance Nico hears the faint rumble of the horn. The pad on as the shadows shift and change with the afternoon sun. Close by Nico hears a screech of something monstrous. He holds up a hand for B to be careful and they slink forward in the shadows. They come upon a clearing with two enormously tall pine trees, in the upper branches of each sit two nests. The two nests are easily each the size of King sized beds, Nico can just catch the glint of something golden peeking out over the edge.

"The eggs." B breaths from where she crouches in the shadows beside Nico. Nico scans the sky for the guardians but sees nothing.

"Okay, don't scream." Nico warns B as he places a hand flat on the ground. A crack opens up and a zombie crawls out looking perplexed in his Greek armor. B gasps and clutches her knife. Nico ignores her and points towards the pine tree. "Retrieve the egg."

The zombie warrior chitters angrily in the language of the dead before awkwardly lumbering out into the open. Immediately as he appears three wild griffins shriek and wheel from hidden vantages in the trees. They converge on the zombie warrior as he slashes at them ineffectively. Nico summons a second zombie, ignoring the head rush that almost makes him list sideways into B, he points towards the first warrior who is now missing an arm. The second warrior chitters and raises his sword before charging into the fray.

"Four against three isn't too bad." Nico jokes weakly and hefts his sword. B's face is pale and drawn. "Stay close to me and just slash and stab, okay?"

"Slash and stab." B repeats quietly. She clutches her knife in front of her with white knuckles. Nico tries not to worry about her as he bursts from the bushes and launches himself at the griffins. Their sleek black bodies whistle past on soft feathers. One slashes at Nico but he parries its razor beak with his sword. Behind him the armless zombie gets taken for a ride. It manages to stab the griffin to dusk as they climb almost to the height of the nest. The zombie drops in a cloud of monster dust with a crunch and doesn't rise again. Nico and the remaining zombie fight back to back with B in the middle stabbing out quickly when one of the Griffins gets in too close. Nico brings one down with a hiss when it skims to close. The final griffin wheels around them shrieking with outrage. It dives in and crunches Nico's remaining Zombie. Its beak tears through the zombie's armor like tin foil. Nico lashes out but B is closer. With a shrill battle cry she stabs her dagger into the griffin's side and it dissolves in a puff of dust. A single black feather remains atop the pile of dust. Rather like a macabre cherry on top.

Nico flicks the dust from his blade and sheaths it. He picks up the feather and shows it to B, her little hands are shaking as she sheathes her dagger as well.

"You got the first trophy." Nico offers her the feather for inspection. B nods slowly her face still pale, she studies the feather before handing it back to Nico. He shoves the griffin feather in their bag and kicks through the monster dust until he finds a glistening black claw. Guilty Nico wonders if he's witnessing the death of childhood innocence.

"Next time summon more zombies please." B mumbles. Then she smiles a little shakily and points toward the tree. "So we have to get one of those, huh?"

"Unfortunately." Nico replies with a frown at the tree, what is with the sadists that designed this game and climbing? "Do you want me to climb up this time?"

"Uh no." B replies as she slips out of her armor and coat. She keeps her dagger this time. "I don't want to be on the ground alone."

"Fair enough." Nico gives her another boost up into the tree. He draws his sword again and keeps watch over the clearing as be climbs higher. Her foot slips and she showers pine needles down on Nico's head. He shakes the pine needles out of his hair and keeps his ears pricked for any sign of pursuit. And for any trouble B might be having above.

 _It's too quiet_. Nico thinks to himself.

Then several things happen at once. The Shadows darken on one side of the clearing, and an unearthly growl rumbles the ground under Nico's feet. He lifts his sword and steps out of the shadows. Nothing shows itself, but Nico can feel the malevolent presence of a dark creature. On the other side of the clearing a great cacophony of breaking branches and running footsteps has Nico whirling in the other direction. Nico ducks behind the tree just as Will bursts through the underbrush with something large and brown clutched to his chest. His eyes are wild and his face is cut and bleeding from multiple scrapes. He has a bow slung over his shoulder and a nearly empty quiver. Scuttling and crashing sound behind him and not one but four of the Myrmekes burst out of the trees behind him. Nico is too stunned to react for a moment. Will rushes to the far side of the clearing and drops, what Nico realizes is a pincher off one of Myrmekes, and draws his bow. He knocks an arrow and lets it fly. It clips the lead ant in the pincher and it falters. He hits the second with an arrow that ricochets towards Nico.

 _That's a bad way to go_. Nico thinks to himself as rolls away from Will's stray arrow. He charges out and lops a leg off one of the back ants as the leaders near Will.

"Hello again!" Will calls cheerfully as he scoops up his ant pincher and takes off running again. Around the edge of the clearing.

"He's lucky he's fast." Nico grumbles as he hacks off the legs of a second creature. "Or I would kill him myself."

Nico starts toward the next ant as another three burst out of the woods. Will veers away and comes charging back towards Nico. He's streaked in grim and there is a hole in his t-shirt from the ants acid saliva, Nico's not sure he's ever seen him look that good. Nico falters in his next strike and nearly misses. The Myrmekes has a chance to turn and slash toward Nico with its pinchers. He parries with his blade barely. Thunder rumbles overhead and Nico risks a glance up. Jason flies down toward them his sword drawn. A tingle of electricity makes the hairs on Nico's arms stand on end.

"Everybody back!" Jason orders as thunder booms again.

Nico doesn't need to be told twice. He grabs Wills hand as he hurtles past and together they careen away from Jason. A split second later Jason lands with a boom, frying the remaining Myrmekes. The shock wave of the lightning strike blasts Nico and Will off their feet. Nico lands in a heap with Will, still tangled in his bow and clutching the ant's pinchers, sprawled over him.

"Cool!" B calls from her perch in the tree.

"Ow." Nico grunts as Will pushes off of him.

"Sorry." Will gasps his blue eyes wide. He discards the pinchers and untangles his now cracked bow from his arms. He runs a careful hand over Nico's arm and ribs. Nico tries to ignore the way his breath hitches at the touch. "Did I hurt you?"

"I'm fine." Nico replies sitting up slowly. His ribs hurt from where Will squished him but otherwise he seems rather unscathed all things considered. He rubs a hand across his chest and climbs to his feet with the hand Will offers. Nico scoops up his sword and holds it loosely at his side.

"Thanks for the assist." Will says with an easy grin.

"They almost had you." Nico reminds Will.

"Nah, they weren't going to catch me." Will smirks and retrieves his broken bow and the ant's pinchers. "I'm touched by your concern though."

"You know you're im-" Nico begins a scowl creasing his brow, but he's interrupted by B's shout.

"Nico behind you!"

Nico wheels in time to see a wall of black and the flash of teeth. He raises his sword a half second too late as the hellhound crashes into him. Claws rake down his sword arm and the blade clatters from his hand. Instinctively Nico raises his arms as he hits the ground. The hellhound's teeth sink into one arm then the other. It thrashes Nico back and forth on a wave of agony. Dimly Nico can hear Will screaming his name, B shrieks from in the tree, Jason yells something Nico can't understand and thunder rumbles across the sky, all Nico can truly feel is pain. He keeps his arms braced defensively in front of his face and neck. His strength fails fast as blood washes down his arms.

"I can't strike without hitting Nico!" Jason yells.

The earth starts to crack around him. Then the hellhound dissolves into a puddle of shadow on top of Nico. Standing over him with trembling hands is Will, he clutches Nico's stygian iron blade with white knuckles. He drops it and falls too his knees at Nico's side, his blue eyes flash with panic as he assess the damage. Nico tries to look down but the effort of moving his head makes pain lance through his side and down his arms. Jason looms behind him but Nico vision goes fuzzy.

"-have to stop the bleeding." Will says desperately tearing off strips of his shirt. Soft gold light starts to spill from his fingers. Warmth fills Nico as Will spreads his hands across his shredded body.

"That's too much power." Jason warns as he kneels next to Will he has his hands pressed against the gash on Nico's side.

"I don't care." Will growls back it might be the pain dazing Nico's sight but he thinks he can see tears in Will's eyes. More light spills from his fingers and the pain in Nico's wounds eases. Will sways over him and lists into Jason. Jason raises his bloodstained hands to catch Will as he falls B's small hands reach for Will as well and help ease him to the ground. Nico reaches his hand out for Will, the healing gashes pull painfully and Nico loses consciousness with Will's name on his lips.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Sorry for the long wait for this next chapter, I started a new job and I've been a little extra busy. Thank you all for the reviews! Please continue with the feedback it has been very helpful! Xoxox**_

Nico swam in and out of consciousness for what felt like a lifetime. He'd been injured before, he'd almost dissolved into shadows for Hades sake. He shouldn't be comatose in the infirmary right now, but he was. His dreams were disjointed and hard to follow most of them he couldn't remember in his brief moments of lucidity. He opened his eyes in the infirmary once. It was dark and quiet. Will was asleep in a chair next to Nico's cot with his head lolled forward on the mattress beside Nico. His golden hair seemed to glow in the moonlight filtering past the curtains. Wills hand was pressed over Nico's as he slept. His hand was smooth and warm, not calloused from swordplay like Nico's. Nico wanted to speak but unconsciousness slowly dragged him back again.

His dreams shifted to where he stood on a hill under a vast canopy of stars. His heart sunk and he tried to force himself out of the familiar dream. He had the distinct feeling he shouldn't be there. Girls in silver parkas emerged from the trees around him, but they all had sunken cheeks and sallow skin. They chittered in the voices of the dead.

 _It should have been you_! They hiss closing in on Nico with their see through hand groping towards him.

His dream shifted again to a strange grove of trees. The branches of the trees disappeared into shadowy mists. Their ancient gnarled trunks were so wide it would be impossible for three people two wrap their arms around together. The strangest thing though, was that branches screaming for help in thousands of languages. The wailing was so intense it seemed to be crawling under Nico's skin. The wants of the grave were overpowering, stronger than anything he happened to be thinking or feeling.

 _How do I help?!_ He screamed back, desperate to do anything to end the incessant shrieking. The trees did not seem to be able to hear him, they continued to scream on. Nico forced himself away from the grove with what little strength he still possessed.

The dreams changed and he dreamed of Will and Jason. They hovered over a kid lying in the infirmary, blankets were heaped over his small frame. All that showed under the blankets was a pale face and a shock of black hair. With a start Nico realizes they're watching him.

"I'll sit with him for a while." Jason tells Will as he pulls up a chair. "Go rest, you're useless the way you are now. You heard how the Ares kids were going at it at dinner last night. I bet you'll have limbs to reattach by this afternoon."

Will looks like he's going to argue but he looks terrible, even worse than he looked during the battle of Manhattan. His face is pale and he has dark circles under his blue eyes. He rubs his eyes and nods slowly his doctor's cap slipping forward on his mop of blond curls.

"He should wake up soon." Will says as he turns to go he hesitates at the door for a moment.

"He'll be fine." Jason assures Will as he settles in a chair by Nico's bed. "I'll call if anything changes."

Will nods slowly and disappears into the night. Jason turns to Nico with a frown and shakes his, he pulls a book out from a bag under his chair and starts to thumb through it absently.

"The things I do for you kid." Jason grumbles as he lets his glasses slide down his nose. "Piper's upset now that I haven't come back and she's worried about you. I keep getting threatening letters from the Coach and now I'm talking to your comatose ass like you can hear me."

Jason squints at him suspiciously.

"In case you can hear me. It's time for you to wake up, you've been out a day and a half already, Will's worried, I'm worried, even B's worried. So it's time kid. I'm not leaving until you at least get up and do something. So if you want to have me failing my next year of high school on your hands, go right ahead and sleep on."

 _I'm trying!_ Nico wanted to scream but instead his dreams changed yet again.

He stood in the throne room of Mt. Olympus. The gods were holding a partial council, thunder boomed all around rattling the throne room. Lightning flashed around the temple and even in his dream state Nico could feel the ozone crackling across his skin. Like every hair on his body were standing on end. Athena, Dionysus, Hera, and Artemis where all in attendance in their respective thrones. Each of them looked on with a mixture of disapproval and the kind of relief that stems from not being the victim of someone's wrath.

"Will you defend yourself?!" Zeus boomed from his throne at a small figure kneeling at his feet. With a start Nico recognized someone he thought was Apollo.

"It wasn't my fault." Apollo replies with a pained expression to his family. "Everyone loves me! They know I wouldn't do something like this!"

"This time you will pay for your irresponsibility and lack of humility." Zeus thundered and raised his hand. The throne room flashed white and Nico forced his dream self to look away.

Nico's heart hammered in his chest and he woke with a start, he sat up so quickly he wanted to vomit. The light in the room is so bright Nico can't see where he is right away. He gasps and shudders in a breath, he tries to steady his breathing.

"Hey!" A small indignant voice squawks in protest. Nico blinks like a vampire into the light pouring in from an open window in the infirmary. He's lying on a bed in the infirmary in the Big House. He's wearing clean pants and a camp shirt, the orange just draws attention to the fact that he doesn't quiet look healthy in the bright sunlight. He scans the room and finds the source of the indignant squawk. B is sitting cross legged at the foot of his bed with Mythomagic cards spread across Nico's blanketed legs, as though he were a lumpy table. Jason sits in the same chair Nico saw him in in his dream but instead of the book he holds Mythomagic cards.

"You're up!" Jason says brightly still considering his cards. "B you're a terrible dealer, I swear you rig this stupid game."

"I do not!" B protests as she rearranged the cards that Nico displaced, Nico starts to shift his stiff legs but B scolds him. "Stop moving! You're ruining the game."

"Sorry for waking up." Nico grumbles but stops shifting. He glances towards the door, but it's shut with no sign of anyone else entering. Nico tries to quash his rising disappointment. There is only one other camper in the infirmary, Nico can't tell who it is on account of the bandages covering every inch of their body.

"He had a run in with one of the guardian's too." Jason says as he follows Nico's eye. "I think we should wait a few minutes to get Will, he's been really busy around here with you and Harry, and all the other weird normal injuries that happen. How are you feeling? Do you need anything?"

Nico feels like a car that's slow to turn over, his brain has a hard time processing Jason's words.

"I feel like I got run over by a truck." Nico replies his voice hoarse as he watches them play. "It doesn't help that I'm being used as a table."

"We've been sitting here for like six hours, we decided to do something besides listen to you talk in your sleep." Jason says with a snort, he lays down a card for his Zeus figurine and demolishes B's Apollo. Nico feels like that is somehow significant but he can't seem to remember why. "Ha! Got you, you little wretch."

B grumbles unkindly in Ancient Greek and lays down three cards for her Hades figurine.

"How long have I been out?" Nico asks warily as he watches them play.

"Only two days." Jason says absently. "Do you want some water?"

"Two days?!" Nico shifts again spilling some of B's cards. She makes a distressed noise in the back of her throat and lunges to save her cards. "I've been out for two days?"

"Yeah." Jason replies, he stands and stretches and then puts his cards down on his chair. "I'm going to go find you some food, I'll let B keep you company in the meantime."

"Thank you." Nico manages.

"That's what friends are for." Jason grins, he has dark circles under his eyes and has the drawn look of someone who worries. Nico wonders when he started accumulating people who cared about him. B seemed to not be in that category as she grumbles through her cards.

"I'll play for Jason." Nico offers. B huffs a big sigh.

"It took me forever to teach him how to play, by the time we get through basic power ups he'll be back." B explains as though Nico were very dim.

"I happen to be very good at this game." Nico informs her smugly. "I played when I was a kid."

"You still are a kid." B replies flatly but she leans over and hands him Jason's cards. "Jason's lost about twenty times so far, so good luck."

Nico doesn't deign to respond. He forgot how much he liked this game, he tries to focus all his thoughts on the game. Not on what happened in the woods and certainly not on the brief moment of lucidity he had had in the night. Just thinking about it makes his insides squirm and his hand tingle. They play quietly other than when Nico wins, he may or may not have rubbed her face in it a little. Jason returns a few minutes later with a tray of food and ambrosia. Nico didn't realize how hungry he was until the smell of pizza hit him. His stomach growled almost as loud as a hellhound and Jason laughed.

"I didn't think any part of you ever got that excited for food." Jason teased as he set the tray down. Nico is too hungry to say anything scathing, instead he fall on the food with ravenous abandon. He was aware of B and Jason watching him but it didn't make him as uncomfortable as it did other times. B snuck a piece of pizza off his plate and started picking the olives off of it. Suddenly she straightens and looks at Nico with something like concern.

"I got claimed." She announces. "By Apollo."

"That's exciting." Nico replies slowly, a little bewildered at her sudden announcement.

"Will you still mentor me?" She asks anxiously. "I heard you were supposed to be mentored by one of the older campers in your cabin. Since I'm Cabin seven now and not unclaimed that means I'm not really supposed to have you as my mentor. I really don't want a different mentor, not that you're very good at it, like getting us attacked and stuff, but I had a lot of fun and I don't want a new mentor."

Nico's too shocked by the small demi-god's word vomit to respond right away. Jason is trying unsuccessfully to smother a smile with his hand. Nico tries to decide if he's honored that B still wants him as a mentor or offended that she thinks he's not a very good one. He tries to strike a tone between the two. He sets his remaining piece of pizza down with exaggerated care and watches B squirm.

"Well," Nico begins slowly. "Since I'm not very good at this job maybe it's for the best that you have a break from me."

A look of devastation passes over her small face.

"But I suppose since you're only here for what, another week? I guess I can fit you into my schedule."

B beams and then glowers.

"You could have just said yes." She grumbles and then crushes him in a hug. "I'll see you at the arena tomorrow morning? I'm taking this."

B swipes the last piece of pizza and slides off the bed too quickly to grab. She scoots past Jason and out the door.

"Do you want me to go get Will?" She asks around a bite of Pizza. Jason turns a questioning look toward Nico. Nico shrugs even though his heart does a little stutter step.

"He should probably rest." Nico says slowly.

"Alright." B shrugs in return. "I'll just go slam the Cabin door a few times. By accident of course."

"Don't you-" Nico starts to yell after her but she's already gone. Nico slumps back into the mattress suddenly exhausted. "This is why I ran away before."

"No it's not drama queen." Jason chastises him as he settles back in his chair. "Just enjoy having people fuss, there are worse things than being surrounded by people who love you."

Nico started to say something snide but the words wouldn't come.

"I'm not a drama queen." He grumbles instead. Jason raises an eyebrow and pulls out a book from underneath his chair. It takes Nico a minute to sort out the title with his dyslexia. It's a Native American folk lore book. The book looks like an artifact, it's bound with crumbling leather and the words are worn and faded, there is a black outline of a face. The man's features are also faded and smudged leaving a stern outline in a feather headdress.

"What are you reading?"

"It's a folk lore book." Jason says without looking up. "I'm trying to surprise Piper with my incredibly expanded knowledge, I think it's fascinating too. If I'm really supposed to be the pontifex maximus I should know as much as possible."

"You're getting sappy." Nico complains.

"Better than being grumpy. I'd think you would be refreshed after your beauty rest." Jason stares at him critically. "What are you going to say to Will when he gets here in like, ten minutes?"

"I don't know." Nico replies honestly. If he was being completely honest with himself it had scared him when Will had nearly sacrificed his power for Nico. He still couldn't quite put his finger on what scared him so much. It wasn't like Will was his only friend. He had more now than he had ever had in his short miserable life.

 _Will's more than just a friend_. A small voice in the back of his head insists.

 _Shut up._

"I'd think that starting with any confessions of undying love is unadvisable." Jason advises. "A simple hello might be better."

"Shut up Grace." Nico grumbles.

"I would keep that level of annoyance going. You're much chattier that way." Jason says cheerfully turning a page.

"Should be easy with you here." Nico quips as he sinks back into the blankets.

"To think I was concerned for your well-being." Jason smirks and lets his glasses slide down his nose. "I'm leaving tonight since you've been confirmed as part of the living once again. Please save you're tearful farewells until after I am gone."

"You're actually leaving?" Nico is a little surprised at the hollowness in his chest. Like a piece of him he didn't realize had returned was suddenly missing again. He felt a little light headed, he hadn't realized just how much he'd come to rely on Jason as his friend.

"Well yeah, school awaits, and Piper." Jason smiles and then suddenly looks up from his book. "If you need anything Iris message me, or call, or send a note through the wind spirits. Anything. Okay?"

"Okay." Nico manages around the lump in his throat. Somewhere far off a door closes,

"I think that's my que to go," Jason snaps his book shut and stands with a stretch. "I'll make sure to stop by and say goodbye."

"I'll try to control my tears." Nico replies snidely. Jason chuckles good-naturedly and turns to leave, he has to sidestep to avoid Will as he comes charging in through the door. B hovers in the shadows of the doorway with a smirk.

"How are you feeling?" Will asks with a carefully controlled tone. Nico remembers thinking that Will was about as non-threatening as a demigod could get. The look he fixes on Nico makes him rethink that observation.

"Much better Doctor." Nico manages with a poker face. Will looks torn between relief and a little like he might want to strangle Nico.

"Good." Will stalks up to the bed and grabs Nico's wrist, feeling for a pulse, Nico tries to pull his hand back as his heart stutters.

"I'm fine let go." Nico protests but Will's grip is like iron. He ignores Nico's protests and stares at the point of contact between them. Nico can feel a strange heat from the touch, not from his own emotions, but from something else. Will's own power. His healing gift, Nico realizes. Nico had been healed before, but he'd never before been aware of the magic and power involved.

Finally satisfied Will lets go of Nico's wrist and braces a hand on the metal bedframe for support. His face is paler but the intensity is gone. His normal easy way if back and he pushes off the bed.

"You are healed but not completely recovered." He holds up a hand to stop Nico's protest. "Take it easy for a week or I will have you back in the infirmary faster than you can say Hades. That means you will stay here until dinner then you may return to your cabin if everything is still going well. I will be watching you, so don't try anything stupid."

"Yes, Doctor." Nico grumbles. He'd learned not to argue with Will on matters like these.

Will gives him a searching look like he's waiting for an argument but he can't seem to find one. Nico's heart clenches at Will's pale drawn face and he searches for the words to express his gratitude.

"Thank you for healing me. I…" Nico starts but he has trouble finding the right words.

"Hey it's what friends do." Will says in a little bit of a forced upbeat tone.

"I just know it took a lot from you." Nico tries to amend. "Just take care of yourself too. You look like death."

A slow smile spreads across Will's face.

"Are you worried about me?" Will asks with that smile that makes Nico's heart beat faster. Then he feels a little annoyed with himself for being flustered so easily.

"Well I've seen ghouls less pale than you, so. You might take a nap of something." Nico says and regrets the words as they come out. _Real smooth di Angelo._

"I'll see what I can do." That smile doesn't leave Will's lips as he turns to leave. "And you should probably take a walk tomorrow, I'll supervise. Doctor's orders. No complaining."

The door clicks shut behind Will and Nico gapes openly at the space Will just inhabited. As though there were a golden halo still there.

"Did he just-?" Nico wonders aloud and nearly jumps out of his skin when someone laughs. B had slunk in when Nico was occupied with Will.

"He did." B replies to Nico's unfinished question. "You need to take a shower at least before your date."


	6. Chapter 6

_**Sorry for the delay I'll try to finish out the story by the end of the month. Thank you for the reviews! Please let me know if you're still liking it!**_ __

Nico sat in the infirmary pretending to rest while he studied the changing shadows across the wall. B kept him company intermittently, she kept leaving for cryptic reasons. Nico had a sneaking suspicion that she was simply leaving to show off that she _could_ leave, or that she was in cahoots with Jason and secretly reporting back. Nico tried to get some Mythology knowledge into the kid as they played, but if he was being honest she didn't really need it. She was even quicker at retaining the information than he had been. Her obsession with the game seemed to make it almost second nature to remember the different monsters and gods.

"If you were to encounter a Hydra what is the best way to kill it?" Nico asked her casually when they started in on a different variation of the game. There were versions where you had to defeat monsters together in teams (Questing) or it was a challenge to see who could kill the most monsters (Hero). The version B wanted to play the most often was God against God (Battle). Nico was fine with it though, even if his preferred game was Hero.

"Burning." B replies quickly as she lays down her power up card for her Athena figurine. "Beheading is a big no-no, one of the other campers said that it makes a new Monster Donut every time one of those monsters grows a new head. Is that true?"

"Yeah Percy and Annabeth made a few new ones before I got to camp." Nico smiles a little to himself remembering the sense of wonder following the first time he heard _**that**_ story. Nico lays down a few weak power up cards to draw B into an offensive strike.

"They're like almost-gods right? Like they're the A-team hero's with you." B asks as she plays a solid strike to Nico's Apollo. The Nike strike is a significant blow, Nico counters with his Asclepius revival and returns fire with a rain of plague arrows. B growls and throws down the rest of her measly healing cards. The bottom of the barrel cards.

"I wouldn't say we're A-team." Nico replies as he lays down the rest of his last two attack cards. B grumbles in defeat and shoves the pile toward Nico to shuffle. He can't help feeling a little sense of pride for being lumped in as A-team. "Percy and Annabeth are also trying to retire."

"Are you trying to retire too?" B asks curiously. "And how old are they anyway? They sound a little young to be retiring."

"I'm not retiring." Nico replies curtly. "And they're like seventeen."

"Oh." B is quiet for a second then she slides off the bed. "I need to go pet a Pegasus."

"Why?" Nico asks warily.

"I dunno just feels right." B replies airily over her shoulder. "Shuffle for me I'll be back in like ten minutes."

Nico decided she was even with Leo for poster child for ADHD. He lost track of all the different reasons she came up with to leave. Dutifully Nico shuffles the cards and deals out for the Hero game. He gives B the count of ten before he carefully slides off the bed and wanders to the bathroom to brush his teeth. He's tried to get up to do it once when he found out Jason left him an extra set of toothbrush/ toothpaste, but B scolded him so he played cards with her instead

Without B around as a distraction Nico was left to stew in his thoughts. They kept stubbornly circling around back to Will. What had been his tone exactly when he asked Nico on the walk? Had it been simply a walk? Or something more? B was convinced that it was something more. She kept bringing it up over and over again. She seemed aware of what she was doing though, she was flaying Nico's nerves. It was easier to cling to his annoyance than face the possibility of what could happen. Sure he'd had fantasies about this one day happening. But that had been early on when it was his own secret and all he had to keep the little light inside himself going. Now it was frighteningly real and he was hiding behind a nine year old girl.

Nico tries to distract himself by searching the books along the bookshelf outside the bathroom. One of Nico's favorite things about the big house is all the random bookcases laden with any kind of book you could imagine. For instance on the lower shelves of this particular bookcase in order are; a captain America comic book, two ancient mythology tomes (one of which is cats through the ages), a German slang dictionary, and a human anatomy book. You get the idea. Nico grabs the German slang dictionary and takes it back to bed with him.

He flips through the book absently while he waits for B to come back. He mumbles phrases out loud with only poor Henry for company. A knock at the door makes Nico smile to himself, he just came across a perfect phrase for B. He replies without looking up.

" _Was ist argerlich?"_ Nico calls by way of greeting.

"Bless you." Will replies instead.

Nico almost falls off the bed.

"Was that German?" Will asks cocking his head as he ambles into the room. "I didn't know you knew any German."

"I-I'm just learning." Nico holds up the slang dictionary and Will smiles a little sadly.

"That was Michael's." Will says a little distantly he checks over the guy in bandages in the corner. Nico feels badly without really knowing why, he dimly remembers Michael Yew flying around in his chariot and arguing with Clarisse. Well before he died in the Battle of Manhattan and left Will as head counsellor.

"I'm sorry." Nico says earnestly, the phrase feels a little foreign on his tongue, but it feels right.

"It's okay he would have been appalled at your pronunciation anyway." Will smiles and comes over to pluck the book from Nico's hands. Nico can feel the warmth from his hands without touching them. Nico wonders to himself, not for the first time, what it would be like to have healing rather than death as a gift.

"It's about as different from Italian as you can get." Nico says without thinking, Will's blue eyes light up.

"You speak Italian? Where did you learn?" Will asks earnestly. Nico hesitates as he tries to clamp down on his usual response of back off. All his internal alarms are screaming at the personal questions.

"I um, learned from my mother. A long time ago." Nico replies carefully. Will looks thoughtful for a second and hands Nico back the book.

"Oh." Is all Will says, which Nico is grateful for, he doesn't want to answer any questions about his mother right now. Or ever for that matter. Nico remembers his mother very dimly but most of his memories are painful. That phrase could be used to describe most of Nico's life.

"How fluent is your Italian?" Will asks instead. "Like if you got dropped in Rome could you pass yourself off as not American?"

Nico rolls his eyes.

"That literally happened."

"Yeah well that part was left out of all the stories I heard." Will replies flipping a chair around and straddling it to face Nico.

" _Non hai mai chiesto_?" Nico replies. Will's eyes light up, Nico feels a tug in his gut.

"That was beautiful." Will replies then scrunches his nose. "You just called me something vulgar didn't you?"

" _Non il mio bellissimo girasole_." Nico can't help but smile.

"Okay enough insulting." Will glares at Nico. "How are you feeling?"

" _Meglio or ache ho visto il tuo sorriso_." Nico can't stop his grin when Will pushes back out of his chair with an exasperated sigh. " _Volvevi sentire italiano_."

"Okay fine. I'll take it as you're feeling better." Will shakes his head. "I just wanted to check on you before I went to help some of the new campers with a first aid lesson. If B shows up you might send her over, she keeps avoiding her lessons that don't involve monster fighting."

"Tutto per te il mio amore." Nico replies as Will grumbles something under his breath and turns to leave. Nico realizes that something is missing in that moment. The awkward tension he had grown so used to. He felt… Better. Actually comfortable for once.

"Thank you for checking on me." Nico calls after Will.

"For you, anytime." Will replies warming Nico down to his toes.

Nico sits there for a while smiling at the cover of the German slang dictionary

"So are you going to wear black on your date?" B blurts the moment she enters the room, ruining Nico moment of calm reflection.

"What?" Nico b. "It's not a date."

"It is too." B insists as she crawls back onto the bed across from Nico.

"No."

"You should wear blue or something." B presses on.

Nico scrunches his nose. "I only wear black and Will's already been by he said you needed to go to the first aid lesson."

"Gray? That's almost a spring color." B needles hopefully as she tries to distract him.

"B as a semi-responsible mentor I have to at least send you in the direction of your lesson." Nico tries to sound stern. "Or I'll tell Will."

B sighs dramatically.

"Fine. I'll leave you my cards to play with since Will won't be here."

"You know what? I think I want to go back into a coma." Nico says snidely.

B sticks out her tongue.

"Can we please play one more hand before I go?"

Nico starts to tell her no, but a small piece of him deep down doesn't want to crush her. So he grudgingly agrees. Also it's barely five o clock and bed rest is boring. B for once doesn't complain about playing hero and they take turns battling monsters. Nico again tactfully sneaks in a little bit of monster fighting tactics as they play. Outside the window Nico can see the sun setting in the early autumn evening. The light filtering through the curtains catches across some of the scars covering his hands and bare-arms. It's one of the reasons he like to wear his aviator jacket. Nico wonders absently where it is, he figures it probably got ripped to shreds in the pitiful beating he received from the Hellhound.

B takes an exaggerated length of time to play her hand. Nico absently traces a long scar down the inside of his forearm. It's one he acquired in his time in Tartarus. Maybe from the curses, but he can't quite remember. He shudders at the memory and takes his turn.

"Where did you get that one?" B asks pointing to the scar Nico's touching.

"A fight." Nico replies absently, he makes a conscious effort not to look at the scars or touch them as he plays his fight cards and claims a hydra.

"Well obviously." B rolls her eyes, she studies him carefully and softly adds. "You don't have to tell me."

"I kind of spent some time in Tartarus. It was one of the worst experiences of my life." Nico tells her without looking up his voice cracks a little. "I don't really like to talk about it okay?"

"Okay." B tells him and for once she doesn't bicker or argue. They finish the hand in silence with Nico once again delivering a crushing defeat.

"One more hand!" B begs. "Please!"

"I agreed to one hand." Nico reminds her.

"But at this point I've missed almost all of Will's lesson and he'll be mad at both of us if I show up late and interrupt." B pleads, she uses every ounce of charm in her possession, and she goes so far as to clasp her hands under her chin. "Please."

"Fine." Nico acquiesces. B chortles happily and starts shuffling the cards. They play a few more hands until without realizing it the sun is almost totally gone and in the distance Nico can hear the horn for dinner.

"No way you little devil." Nico grumbles. "You got out of literally everything you were supposed to do today."

"But we had fun didn't we?" B grins mischievously and slides off the bed. "I'm hungry anyway and I almost beat you that time. That's a good stopping place and…. oh!"

B stops and stares at Jason a little shyly. He's standing in the doorway dressed for travel. He wears a fresh camp T-shirt, jeans, and a black jacket. He has a pack slung over his shoulders and his golden gladius is sheathed at his hip. A frown creases his brown and when he steps into the light Nico is struck again by his presence as a warrior. The light from the bedside lamp catches across his glasses, hiding his eyes and making him feel like a stranger for a moment.

"Hey." He offers with a nod. "I'm here to say goodbye."

"I hate goodbyes." Nico grumbles and internally winces.

"Take care of yourself di Angelo." Jason smiles, and holds out his arm for a hug. "I know you're not big on this but I feel like we've had a good breakthrough here."

Nico slides off the bed and tries to keep himself from swaying as he steps into Jason's crushing embrace. He squeezes his eyes shut. _No tears._ He promises himself silently. _This is almost as bad as saying goodbye to Reyna._

Someone coughs from the doorway as Jason releases him. Will is standing in the doorway with his leather doctor's bag slung over his shoulder and his scrubs crooked and blood splattered. He scans them with a shrewd look that Nico finds discomforting. There are dark circles under his eyes and he has a mad glint in his blue eyes. One that Nico recognizes as exhaustion, he wonders where Will was. It was maybe three hours ago that he stopped in on Nico. The first aid lesson for the littles should have only taken at the most an hour. Worry clenches Nico's gut as his mind churns over what could have happened.

"Anyway." Jason says starting to back for the door, he looks between Will and Nico as un-subtly as a person can. He also pointedly ignores Nico silent plea for help. _Please don't leave me alone with my tired angry crush._ "Camp Jupiter is hosting a Halloween party and you're welcome if you want to come visit. You too Will."

"Can I come too?" B pipes up from her perch on the couch.

"Ah," Jason surveys her for a moment. "You'll have to ask your mortal parent."

"No fair." B pouts. Jason gives her a fist bump that lessens her pout slightly. He seems unsure of whether to hug Will or not. He does finally, awkwardly, and Will reciprocates rather stiffly.

"Again take care of yourself." Jason waives from the door. "Don't hesitate for a second to get in touch, either of you. Hopefully I'll see you at Halloween."

With that Jason vanishes into the night. Leaving Nico alone with B and Will. For reasons Nico does not fully understand Will is glaring at him.

"Can we do movie night tonight?" B asks into the charged room.

"Um," Nico begins articulately. Will continues to look like he's been forced to chug pickle juice. B frowns and crosses her little arms, he can see her perceptive little mind racing.

"I thought Nico was supposed to be resting." Will says without moving from his place in the doorway.

"He could rest and watch a movie." B replies quickly, her eyes still dart between the two of them.

"I just got up I promise." Nico ads and moves to lean against the bedside table as his legs start to tremble, he's not sure why everything hurts so much all of a sudden.

"B why don't you go let the rest of the cabin know it's time to get ready for dinner?" Will uses a tone that leaves little doubt that he issued a command.

"But-" B protests until Will shifts his icy blue stare to her. She shuts up and skitters out of the room quickly. Nico has the sudden desire to follow her even as the thought of being in a room alone with Will sends a thrill of excitement through him.

"Why aren't you resting?" Will asks in a brittle tone, finally stepping into the room. Out of the shadows he looks as worn as Nico feels.

"I just wanted to stretch my legs." Nico replies with equal brittleness. "I didn't realize I needed your permission to walk to the bathroom."

Will's face colors slightly and he takes a few steps forward, Nico can practically feel the anger rolling off of him now.

"You don't need _my_ permission to do _anything_." Will growls through his teeth. "I thought we were friends enough that you would listen to my advice. I guess you care about other people more."

Nico stands his ground and glowers back, he tries not to respond with anger. Instead he tries to strike a reasonable tone.

"I was going back to bed as soon as Jason left." Nico tries.

"I'm sure you would have." Will says acidly taking another step forward and putting his hand on his hip. " _I know you're not big on this but I feel like we've had a good breakthrough here."_ He mimics Jason angrily. "You flinch anytime I even touch you, don't think I don't notice things. Oh but not Jason."

"What?!" Nico squawks back. Will's eyes are red rimmed and he looks like he's about to drop from exhaustion. "Are you crazy?"

"Oh so you think I'm crazy now?" Will ask shrilly dropping his doctor's bag with a hollow crunch. Nico hesitates for a moment unsure of what to do. Will seems to take that as confirmation of Nico's poor opinion and throws his hands in the air. "That's it isn't it? That's why you're always half avoiding me, you're always hiding. I know you've been through hell, I thought that was why you always hang around with Jason. But no…"

"You-" Nico starts to snap back, but the fight leaves him in a rush that makes his knees wobble. "You're jealous."

"I am not." Will snaps. He grabs his doctor's bag and starts to stalk back to the door. "I know you like Jason better, I'm not stupid or blind."

Nico struggles to find words for a moment as a bigger realization hits him. Will cares enough to be hurt. That's a lot in Nico's experience, a nervous thrill threatens to overwhelm him as he watches Will hesitating by the door. A lump of terror blocks his throat as he stands there staring at Will without a coherent thought in his head beyond the fact that Will actually likes him. _Gods Jason was right._

"That's what I thought." He sighs.

"Wait!" Nico calls after him staggering forward a step. He hates the way his knees shake without the aid of the couch. "You are actually blind."

"Excuse me?" Will asks with a hand on the door knob.

"You heard me." Nico tries to steady himself for a confession, which is not exactly his strong suite. Most of his normal instincts are screaming at him dissolve into shadow and embrace his inevitable dark end. He shut down on his internal screaming with difficulty. "I don't like Jason."

Will turns back to Face Nico with his arms crossed. His expression unreadable.

"I- I like you." Nico stammers he can feel his face flooding with heat, he focuses on a speck of something dark on the wall to the left of Will's head and tries not to close his eyes. "More th-than just a friend. And I know I'm not the best at things like this. I know that I'm not usually most people's first choice…. But I was hoping that maybe I might be yours."

When Nico finally forces himself to look back at Will, he stands there for a moment seemingly frozen. A look of shock and something hopeful warring across his freckled face. His golden hair flops in his eyes and he shoves it back roughly. He continues to study Nico with an intensity that makes Nico want to simultaneously combust and melt into shadows.

Nico asks finally, anxiety makes his words tart even as his hands and knees shake. "Well?"

Will takes a step forward and sets down his bag again, he cocks his head and a little smile plays across his lips finally.

"You'll always be my first choice death boy." Will smiles for real and Nico's not sure he's ever seen anything as radiant.


End file.
